NORTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa.,None — Workers and customers had to run for safety when a restaurant in North Strabane Township went up in flames on Thursday.
The blaze happened at Frankie I’s along Route 19.
Channel 11 News learned that about 20 customers and employees were inside when the fire started.
One of the chefs said the blaze started in the kitchen just as the evening shift was getting started.
The owner tried to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher, but the flames were too strong, crews said.
“He yelled, ‘Call 911,’” said shift manager Mike Leasure. “We immediately cleared the building because the flames shot up pretty quick."
The barn-style bar was destroyed by the fire.
"The building is a hundred years old. It was a barn, then converted into a restaurant several years later and it was a popular spot in the township," said North Strabane Fire Chief Mark Grimm. "There were 15 customers and five employees. The owner did an excellent job of getting everyone out. It could have been a lot worse if it were later in the evening. There are usually a lot of people. It would have changed things dramatically."
Workers said the owner had recently done some major renovations.
Firefighters believe the cause of the blaze could be a faulty fan unit in the kitchen, but the fire marshal is still investigating.
The owner of the restaurant said he will likely rebuild.
WPXI
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